Beverage forming device with beverage outlet control

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9549636-B2
Application number	US-201414448409-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 31, 2014
Priority date	Feb 9, 2012
Publication date	Jan 24, 2017
Grant date	Jan 24, 2017

Abstract

A beverage forming system and method in which characteristics of a dispensed beverage are controlled. A beverage forming system may include an outlet chamber having an inlet opening to receive beverage from a beverage forming chamber, and an outlet opening to output beverage. The outlet chamber may have a standpipe in the outlet chamber between the inlet and the outlet openings that prevents a direct passage of beverage to the outlet openings, thus controlling characteristics of the beverage, such as an amount of foam, the size of bubbles in a foam, etc. The standpipe may have a portion extending upwardly from a bottom of the outlet chamber and impeding a direct flow path between the inlet and the outlet openings, thus forcing flow to pass around and/or over the standpipe portion.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A beverage forming system, comprising:
a beverage forming chamber arranged to hold a beverage medium used to form a beverage;
a liquid supply arranged to provide liquid to the beverage forming chamber for mixing with the beverage medium to form a beverage; and
an outlet chamber having an inlet opening to receive beverage from the beverage forming chamber, and an outlet opening to output beverage to a user's container, the outlet chamber including a standpipe in the outlet chamber between the inlet and the outlet openings, the standpipe having a portion extending upwardly from a bottom of the outlet chamber and impeding a direct flow path between the inlet and the outlet openings so as to force flow between the inlet and outlet openings to pass around and/or over the standpipe portion,
wherein the outlet chamber further includes a secondary outlet opening adjacent the outlet opening and positioned above the outlet opening, and wherein the standpipe includes a wall element extending upwardly from the bottom of the outlet chamber between the secondary outlet opening and the outlet opening.

2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a rib extending between the secondary outlet opening and the outlet opening.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the beverage forming chamber includes a beverage cartridge.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the beverage forming chamber includes a chamber arranged to receive a beverage cartridge.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the outlet chamber further includes one or more ribs extending through the outlet opening arranged to assist in directing flow through the outlet opening.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the upwardly extending portion includes two planar wall elements that extend upwardly from the bottom and are joined together along an edge.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the planar wall elements are arranged at an angle relative to each other.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the beverage forming chamber includes an outlet, and the outlet chamber includes a drain opening arranged to receive liquid from the beverage forming chamber outlet and discharge the liquid through the drain opening.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the outlet chamber and the standpipe are arranged to control a maximum size of bubbles discharged at the outlet opening.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the outlet chamber and the standpipe are arranged to control an amount of foam discharged at the outlet opening.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the outlet chamber is removable from the beverage forming system for cleaning.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the standpipe is arranged to reduce a velocity of the beverage at the inlet opening before the beverage exits the outlet chamber.

13. The system of claim 1 , wherein the outlet opening is arranged to reduce splashing and direct beverage in a single direction from the outlet opening.

Assignees

• Keurig Green Mountain Inc

Inventors

• Smith Geoffrey Y
• Hristov Stoyan Plamenov
• Shepard James E

Classifications

• A47J31/46 Primary

  Dispensing spouts, pumps, drain valves or like liquid transporting devices · CPC title

• A47J31/469

  Details of hydraulic circuits · CPC title

• A23F5/262

  the extraction liquid flowing through a stationary bed of solid substances, e.g. in percolation columns · CPC title

• A47J31/40

  Beverage-making apparatus with dispensing means for adding a measured quantity of ingredients, e.g. coffee, water, sugar, cocoa, milk, tea · CPC title

• A47J31/467 Primary

  for the infusion · CPC title